Perfect Is Boring

Perfect is hard to live up to, isn't it?Everyone is trying to live a perfect life, have a perfect body, get the perfect face, find the perfect guy/girl, get the perfect job, drive the perfect car, etc. etc.Our whole lives we aim for perfection, but it's a futile journey.  No one ever achieves it.  No one.  It just causes us feelings of disappointment, and a lot of us are way too hard on ourselves because we always fall short.But who doesn't?Can you think of one person that is actually 100% perfect?I can't.  And even if I could, I bet they'd be really boring.They'd be predictable.They'd be really hard to go out to eat with.They probably wouldn't be very sympathetic to your flaws and shortcomings because they'd never have felt them before.In other words, they wouldn't be human.18th Century poet, Alexander Pope once said: "To err is human; to forgive, divine."So if we want to reach that higher level of happiness, perfection shouldn't be our goal.

Instead, we should set our sights on forgiving ourselves for not being perfect and allow ourselves to live unapologetically in our true, unique, flawed selves.

This is how we can achieve our most profound happiness.  When we can forgive our errors and accept who we are from the inside out, we open ourselves up to the infinite paths to joy.When there is no "right" way to go, you mark your own course and discover your own life.You will best serve the world when you are living in your true self, not when you are "living" to achieve an uphill, un-maintainable, unrealistic goal.  Your spirit will get crushed, and your happiness drained by a constant lack of perfection.The fight for perfection has always plagued me- in a sense, that's what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is all about- perfection, control, and prevention of the unknown.  Though I've overcome the need for many of my physical behaviors (counting, touching corners, etc.), the mindset still motivates many of my actions.So I am consciously making the decision to put this approach of forgiveness and acceptance at the forefront of my self-work.My goals have changed SOOO many times over the last few years, and many of those goals involved being perfect at everything I set out to accomplish.  After years of disappointment and rejection, I've made a new goal:

Don't try to be perfect; just be true to you.

Once you adopt this philosophy, you'll be amazed how freeing it is.To know you are enough is the most satisfying feeling in the world.Truthfully, it's still a working process.  My old habits creep in and I catch myself comparing myself to others and getting frustrated when things aren't perfect.  But when I can re-focus my actions and thoughts into just being my true self, I find that I am happier, less stressed out, and more creative and inspired.As I take on this ideology more consistently, I wish I could share these feelings with all of you.  You all deserve to feel whole and happy, too.

So why don't you join me?

They always say there's strength in numbers (I don't know who "they" are, but "they" say it!)!  I bet you can guess what the challenge is this week...THIS WEEK, I CHALLENGE YOU TO PLACE THIS PHILOSOPHY AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND.Take actions that are in line with this belief this week.  Create out of your truest self–not what you think everyone wants to read, see, or buy.  Stop comparing yourself to other people that are "better" than you- you are the best you out there, and you can get even better if you continue thinking in this way.If you're not feeling comfortable being yourself yet, don't worry!  It takes time.  Check out Flaw-nt Yourself: How To Be Imperfect And Love It- it might help ease some of that discomfort.I'll be checking in here to see if anyone needs help, has questions, or is just plain rocking it!  Feel free to leave your concerns and thoughts in the comments below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!Free yourself from the shackles of perfection.  There's a whole imperfect world out there, and it's not boring at all.